If these two fine Heavyweights could have fought each other in their primes who would have won? How would Floyd Pattersons 'peek a boo' style cope with Kenny Nortons 'crablike' stance and visa-versa?
Both could punch, but both were also KO'd early by their own generations Monster in Liston and Foreman. Would Patterson be too fast? Would Norton be too strong in the second half of the fight?
Interesting clash of styles I think, but what do you guys think?
Can you make these any harder? I have confessed to a Patterson negative bias so people will take this with a grain of salt.....but here is my take.
When I see how well Norton did with Ali and Holmes and Jimmy Young I can not imagine a scenario where Patterson wins this. Norton's defence works well with what Patterson brings. I'm inlclined to think that Norton could close the show with a knockout but that may be to ambitious and giving away too much to my own personal bias.
Patterson does not bring that knockout threshold that could stop Kenny, and though Norton lost some wars with Holmes and Ali and split in the judges eyes with Jimmy Young I think these fights show me Norton would seal the deal on the judges cards with Patterson.
Last edited by BoxBuzz on 19 Aug 2005, 16:32, edited 1 time in total.
I think Patterson would probably start well and even get off to an early lead. He'd outbox Norton over the first half of the fight without hurting him, but in the second half, Norton's weight and strength invantage would come in to play. Norton in peak shape could easily outweigh Patterson by more than 25 lbs. As Patterson becomes less and less mobile I could see Norton finishing him off around the 10th round.
Patterson does not bring that knockout threshold that could stop Kenny
Patterson has a pretty powerful KO left hook. that was his KO punch. he knocked out a lot of fighters with it, and knocked down a lot of very good fighters with it.
My point wasnt that he didnt have it as much as it didnt meet the "high risk" threshold for Kenny. And when it comes down to it what invinceble chin did Patterson ever put a chink in? Besides my favorite fighter of all time the old Mongoose....... Ingemar?
I may not give as much credit to Floyd as he deserves but I"m not buyin that he had particularly heavy hands.
Floyd would be just about a perfect opponent for Ken Norton. In a previous post I talked about why Ken did so well against very good boxers like Ali, Young, Quarry, and Holmes. And all those guys were bigger and (except maybe Jimmy Young) harder hitting than Flyd. No contest Ken by relatively easy decison and possibly early ko.
Patterson nearly killed ingemar johanseen with his left hook. he knocked out archie moore with it, and most of his title "soft" title defenses he kayoed people his left hook. he left tommy jackson a bloody mess and out on the canvas from a left hook.
and how bout after he lost the title??? he got better because he got stronger and became more filled out and experienceed, and his chin seemed to get better. he beat up eddie machen, and won a marvelous battle with george chuvalo, then he fought a prime jerry quarry very close and knocked the granite chin quarry down in the first fight from a left but was unlucky to have the fight be a draw. the 2nd fight he was closely outpointed in another debatable fight.
patterson was very unlucky to lose a deciison to jimmy ellis and he knocked ellis down(it was rulkes slip) and broke ellis's nose. butt the fight was in ingemar johansens backyard and the ref who scored the fight had a grudge against floyd for beating ingo. after that, he beat toguh oscar bonavena and knocked ot henry cooper and then outboxed ali through teh first 6 rounds before losing the fight on cuts in the 7th.
id say Ken Norton would probably decision patterson since he was a lot stronger than patterson and always did well against boxers and plus norton had the better chin. but patterson would be no chicken dinner. and he defintely has power and speed to give norton trouble.
The specifics I won't argue they speak for themselves and you are right on every count.
I think Floyd wore people down and they became ready for a good shot and he was so fast people did not see them coming. So I"m just a bit confused, my point was that I will never consider Floyd a true "HeavyHitter" in the history of Heavyweights. You seem to be making a case that you beleive he is. Ingemar did not see that shot coming and there is no easier way to kill someone than having the element of total surprise. If it would have been Liston or Foreman he would indeed have been dead but they probably would never have had him that unprepared as they were so much slower.
no i do not believe he was a heavy hitter. i just think sometimes people underate floyds power. floyd did not have foreman or liston heavy handed power but he did have a pretty good left hook and KO power which was due to his incredible handspeed.
BrocktonBlockbuster49 wrote:then he fought a prime jerry quarry very close and knocked the granite chin quarry down in the first fight from a left but was unlucky to have the fight be a draw. the 2nd fight he was closely outpointed in another debatable fight.
Regarding the Patterson - Quarry fights.
I recall reading an interview with the late Jerry Quarry many years ago where Quarry stated that Patterson was by far the dirtiest fighter he ever fought but he used his speed to get away with it.
I'm not saying I agree or disagree with Quarry, just thought I would share that with you all.
